Apparatuses for the shaping of plastics material pre-forms into plastics material container have long been known from the prior art. In this case heated plastics material pre-forms are usually shaped into plastics material containers by being acted upon with compressed air in a plurality of blow moulding stations.
In recent years aseptic blow moulding machines have also become known in which the shaping procedure is carried out inside a clean room. A machine of this type is known from WO 2010 020529 A2. This machine has a clean room in which the individual blow moulding stations are arranged. In this case this clean room and articles present therein have to be sterilized before the start of production. This sterilization procedure also comprises in this case the entire blow moulding station, i.e. the blow moulds, the transfer star wheels, possible blowing nozzles and the like.
In this case it is also known from the internal prior art of the Applicants that the blow moulds can have small openings in their inner wall in order to be able to remove a gaseous medium, such as for example displaced air, during the blow moulding procedure. The sterilization of these openings, however, represents a considerable problem. In addition, a contamination of the blow moulds can be caused by these openings in the prior art.
In the design of an aseptic blow moulding machine the sterilization of the clean room and the parts present therein is crucial. Only by reliable sterilization can a germ-free atmosphere be achieved, which is important for the aseptic treatment of containers and the filling of beverages.
Therefore it may be desirable to provide an improved possibility of maintaining the sterility in a clean room of this type or in a blow moulding machine of this type respectively.